The present invention relates generally to satellites, and more particularly, to systems, methods and apparatus for pico-class satellite avionics.
Satellites have traditionally been relatively large-scale, usually government funded very specialized and focused projects. Satellite electronics packages (i.e., avionics) were typically developed specifically for one specialized mission objective corresponding to the mission of the satellite itself. Further, typical satellite avionics packages were packaged in a customized form factor corresponding to the actual satellite vehicle that also reflected the specialized mission objective.
The individualized development of each satellite vehicle and mission results in much of the engineering and development from one satellite avionics project having very little use in a second satellite avionics project. Thus requiring an entirely new development cycle at much greater cost. By way of example, the avionics of a first satellite would not physically fit within a second satellites airframe even if the mission operations were similar. Thus an entirely new packaging must be custom fit to each satellite.
In more recent history much of space exploration is being undertaken by small organizations such as schools and businesses, rather than as a government-funded project. As a result there is a need for smaller, less costly, more flexible satellite avionics designs that may be re-usable and easily adaptable across a wide range of satellite missions.